Early Career Workforceat BNLMegan QuarantQuality Management OfficePlanning, Performance, and Quality Management

Overview

1) Overall Goal

2) Background

3) Early Career Survey Results

4) The Next Steps

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Overall Goal

To proactively prepare for the growth and development of future scientists and leaders at all levels at our Lab:

• Attract talent and insight of diverse perspectives • Retain talent through inclusive environment• Develop talent through professional growth; transfer

pipeline of knowledge

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Brookhaven’s Age Profile(Sept. 2018)

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Brookhaven’s Age Profile(Sept. 2018)

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National Workforce for 2017

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Early Career Survey Background• Attended Strategic Planning CoP• Benchmarked early career programs and Generational

Diversity activities across Battelle Labs• Collaborated with BNL’s Inclusion & Diversity Office.

Discussed early career workforce possibilities• Engaged with early career staff and key stakeholders to

gather input, develop survey questions, and vet content• Dispatched survey to targeted group (ages 20-34)

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Demographic Results: Total 168 Responses

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Early Career Attraction

Tell us your story:

Why did you choose to come to BNL?

What attracted you to working at the Laboratory?

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Attraction- Response Examples

“I really liked the idea of working in a large scale research environment with a large, interdisciplinary team and to be exposed to a very broad spectrum of sciences and professions to advance my personal skills in all areas.”

“The opportunity for leading research and development. Having the freedom to choose interesting research topics, and collaborating with people from multi-disciplines, and contributing to nation-wide projects. The work-life balance is relatively better than industry.”

“The National Laboratories are highly prized resources on a national scale. The high concentration of experts from many different fields means it is the best place for higher learning beyond that of universities or colleges.”

“Proximity to home, flexibility, and the Child Development Center attracted me to BNL…”

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Early Career Retention- Challenges

From your perspective:

Is there anything missing?

What single thing has the greatest negative

impact on your experience at work on

a day-to-day basis?

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Retention- Response Examples

“Perhaps the bureaucracy of how things operate at times here and the many layers we have seem to over complicate processes.”

“It is a stressful work environment which stems from many different things…lack of communication, lack of assets and resources, lack of manpower, excessive overburdening, constant evolution of procedures and scope of work and policy, etc.”

“It seems like it's become more difficult, since I started at BNL, to get things done. People don't seem to consider the big picture/overall goal of the lab… I find myself saying often, ‘Why is this so hard/difficult to accomplish?’ It's frustrating.”

“Being pulled in many different directions because we are understaffed and every decision is made under a time crunch.”

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Early Career Retention- Positives

From your perspective:

Is there anything missing?

What single thing has the greatest positive

impact on your experience at work on

a day-to-day basis?

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Retention- Response Examples

“The greatest positive impact are the people that I work with. We have a really tight knit group and the amount of knowledge they possess is overwhelming.”

“The strength and resilience of many of my colleagues has the greatest positive impact on me on a day-to-day basis. Despite the numerous challenges they face every day, especially when people start cracking from stress, they are still able to work together somehow towards a common goal. Specifically, I have learned that we don't always need to agree, so long as we work together and get the job done.”

“The work that I do is so rewarding; to know that my day-to-day work will end up adding to a scientific work is what makes this job worth doing. I had hoped this could have led me into a more permanent position at BNL, in science or not, because of how fulfilling it is to come work on these projects every day.”

“Since day one everyone has gone out of there way to help me learn all aspects of my job. We have a great team and I am very grateful to be a part of it.”

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Early Career Development

*Out of 168 responses

“How well does BNL communicate career

growth opportunities?”

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Early Career Development

“What are your career growth expectations at BNL for the next 5

years?”

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Development- Response Examples

“I expect to obtain a full time position above entry level, and have steady responsibilities and assignments.”

“I really don't have any expectations. Things are very uncertain right now, so it's hard to tell how organizational changes will affect my career. ”

“Find a permanent position in scientific research. Either a university position or a scientific staff position.”

“Hope to gain a different experience in another job opportunity.”

“I hope to move into my field and work with people I can learn from, but I don't expect that will happen anytime soon.”

“I would like to see Discovery Park open and the new opportunities that will bring in”

“I honestly do not know what to expect. There isn't a real path that is communicated to the employees.”

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The next steps…

• Engage stakeholders and Build Interest• Coordinate Generational Diversity/Early Career themed

discussions • Potential discussion topics, speakers, etc.

• Discuss survey results with Inclusion & Diversity Office and brainstorm ideas

• Collaborate on early career events with ASAP• Create an Early Career Employee Resource Group

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Early Career Resource Group Interest

“If there were a resource group that met occasionally to address topics specific to early career staff at BNL, how likely would you be to attend? When would be the best

time for such a group to meet?

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Conclusion

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The Laboratory is making progress; recognition of- and planning for-the Early Career Workforce as part of our strategy will ensure the Laboratory is proactively preparing for the growth and development of future scientists and leaders.

• Attract a Diverse Workforce: What can we do to continue to attract interest in our science and

spark interest in supporting our science?

• Retain and Develop a World-class Staff: What can we do to develop and transfer the pipeline of knowledge

to the next generation at BNL? How can this be integrated into career development opportunities

and succession planning?

What can each of us do?

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Thank you!• The Inclusion & Diversity Office• Diane Hatton• David Manning• Joe Gettler & Danielle Pontieri• Roy Lebel, Teresa Daniels, & Nicole Puglin

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Questions?

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Or Comments: mquarant@bnl.gov

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Back Up Slides

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Battelle Benchmarking • Benchmarked across Battelle to explore early career programs and

Generational Diversity activities• Some established early career programs - beginning to address

generational diversity and needs of early career staff• Examples include:

• Early career ERGs• Post-doc associations • Mentorship programs• Tuition reimbursement programs• Informal networking events• Collaborative early career seminars• Early career Q&A and career management sessions• Generational Diversity presentations

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